Senators come back again in 3-2 overtime win against the Devils
by Adnan on Jan 2, 2012 11:56 PM EST
in Ottawa Senators game recaps
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[Corsi] [Head-to-head] [Zone starts] [Scoring Chances]
The Ottawa Senators won their third straight game and they have not led for a second in any of those games. Crazy, huh? Here's how they got there...
The first period was scoreless despite both teams having chances. Shots were 9-9 and scoring chances were 6-5 for New Jersey. The second period saw Erik Karlsson give the puck away at the blue line, sending Ilya Kovalchuk on a breakaway. Karlsson chased hard as he always does, but Kovalchuk was able to get a shot off that Anderson saved. Shortly after, Zenon Konopka gave the puck away inside the Senators zone and this time Dainius Zubrus scored to put the Devils ahead at the 7:47 mark. The fourth line was culpable again when David Clarkson scored to put New Jersey 2-0 ahead. Shots were 9-9 again and scoring chances were 8-8 in the second period.
The third period is where the action was for the Senators. Jason Spezza made it a one goal game after being sent in on a breakaway by who else, Erik Karlsson, at the 1:21 mark. Ottawa would have its chances to tie the game, but time was winding down until Erik Condra scored a shorthanded goal with only 6:43 left on a shot that Martin Brodeur really should have had. The period ended with the score tied 2-2 and the shots were 10-8 for Ottawa in the period and scoring chances 4-3 in Ottawa's favour.
The Devils had the Senators pinned in their own zone for large portions of the overtime but were only able to put three shots on net. That would come back to bite them when they took a penalty with 2:02 left. Just like two games ago, Daniel Alfredsson took an Erik Karlsson feed and fired it into the net on a 4-on-3 power play to complete yet another stirring come back.
Sens Hero: Erik Karlsson
He had the one glaring mistake for the Kovalchuk breakaway, but it was another excellent game from Karlsson. With Gonchar still out after taking a puck to head from Chris Neil, and Chris Phillips injured during the game, Karlsson broke the 30 minute mark for the second straight game, playing a whopping 32:39. His breakaway pass to Spezza on the 2-1 goal got the Senators back in the game. He finished the night with two assists, six shots on net and had another six shots that were either blocked or missed the net.
Sens Hero: Craig Anderson
Anderson had a solid performance for the third straight game, stopping 27 of 29 shots. This is the kind of performance the Senators need from him. Not spectacular but keeping the team in the game and giving them a chance to win.
Honourable mention: Daniel Alfredsson
He didn't have a good game but he scored the overtime winner.
Sens Zeroes: Fourth line (Chris Neil, Zenon Konopka and Kaspars Daugavins)
Neil and Daugavins were on the ice for both goals against while Konopka's turnover led to New Jersey's first goal. Daugavins only played 4:46 in the game and only 8 seconds in the third period, Konopka saw 1:29 of action in the third period. Being outscored 2-0 is not a good night for the fourth line.
Sens Killer: Missed/blocked shots
The shots on target were 32-29 for Ottawa on the night, but they also had 23 shots miss the target and another 23 shots blocked. Ottawa had 78 attempted shots to New Jersey's 47. This has been a theme for Ottawa recently.
Other Notes
- This was Ottawa's league leading fifth win when trailing after two periods and seventh while trailing at some point in the third period.
- This was also the third game they have won trailing despite trailing by at least two goals in the third period after the 4-3 win against Minnesota and 5-4 win against the Rangers.
- Erik Karlsson now has 37 points in 40 games and is only 8 points behind his career high. He also has 142 shots on goal, which is sixth among all NHL players. Alexander Ovechkin only has one more shot than Karlsson.
- Jason Spezza has 40 points in 40 games and is 8th in the Art Ross race.
- New Jersey has allowed 12 goals while they are on the power play and allowed 11 goals when they are shorthanded. Think about that. That's absurd.
- With 45 points in 40 games, the Senators are on pace for 92 points.
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This is hilarious
I’ve been at the Saddledome watching the World Juniors, and for the past three games we’ve looked at the scoreboard during the first period to see the Senators losing, then looked at the scoreboard again in the third period only to see that the Senators came back and won in OT. Ridiculous.
Kinda worried about these three point games coming back and biting the Sens in the ass, though.
Co-manager, Silver Seven
You're right.
I’m also worried about the three point games, but I’m proud of the team for coming up with the wins. We have a big stretch of away games coming up, and the more points we can rack up now, the better!
But you’re right, beating teams cleanly in regulation is what good teams do, and I’m excited to see if MacLean can keep this train moving.
GO! SENS! GO!
Being bit by 3 point games is better than being bit by losing a 2 point game
Though I suppose it doesn’t make much difference if that pushes you into 9th.
Was at the game
I love the new scoreboard. Like, love it. Romantically. I actually watch replays now! Without squinting!
Fantastic comeback effort by the boys tonight. Best “hey, anyone want free tickets to the game tonight” I ever spent. Go Alfie!
Scholar, Gentleman, Shameless Sens Homer with a Heart of Gold.
by Johnny_Spectacular on Jan 3, 2012 12:24 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
wow that shot chart is kinda scary
looks like the majority of the shots andy faced tonight were within 5 feet in front of the crease
There was a lot of traffic out there
The defencemen were failing miserably at clearing bodies and rebounds from the front of the net, too. It’s no coincidence that both of the Devils’ goals were off rebounds.
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by Peter Raaymakers on Jan 3, 2012 10:10 AM EST up reply actions
Man, there's some serious swearing on those highlights.
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
Bubble
With a GF/GA of 123-135, we’re in a dream world right now. Over time, that has to come back and bite us in the ass. 123 goals for puts us in elite company. 135 goals against ties us with Carolina who are in last.
Before the season started, I assumed we would be better defensively, and I believe we are much better defensively than last year. Based on that assumption, and an apparently decent goalie, I assumed our goals against would be something like 2.8 – we’re 3.375 which is worse than we were last year. Elliott had a 3.19 GAA last year and he was run out of town.
At my arbitrary 2.8 GAA, we would be 123-112 GF/GA and we would be legitimate competitors with the current company we are keeping in the standings. Of the teams behind us, the Capitals have a positive GF/GA and 3 other teams have much closer spreads. Toronto’s spread is similar to ours.
If we keep things up at the current pace, it is inevitable we will find ourselves elsewhere in the standings. On the other hand, like DarrenM, I find myself getting almost giddy when I miss a game, check the ongoing scoreboard and know that a 2-0 or 3-0 deficit in the 1st period is meaningless.
I made this observation earlier, but I think they'll be ok.
Only Det, Van, Boston, Philly, Chicago and Ottawa have scored 123 or more GF. However, I think our GA will come down, and it’s being skewed by some serious blowouts (particularly early in the season). It also feels like we’re giving up less breakaways then we were earlier.
by Pmoron on Jan 3, 2012 7:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Is anyone aware of a site that has GF/GA broken down in, say, 10 game increments or something like that?
Looking at NHL.com we are really bad in almost all GA categories. In particular, 5 on 5 and 4 on 5, we have really bad totals. But I can’t find a way to see if the blowouts cited above have had a distorting effect.
Take out the first six games (including the two blowouts) and the Sens are a + team.
It’s kind of artificial, but if you take out the first few (6) games, i.e. to include the 7-1 and 7-2 losses, where the Sens had a cumulative goal differential of -14, suddenly the Sens are +2. (Not elite obviously but a lot better.)
That’s a bit arbitrary, since they then went on a long winning streak, so more simply, take out just the two blowouts and you still improve from -12 to -1.
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 8:38 AM EST up reply actions
Ok, so looking at game by game results for the season, we have lost 7 games by 3 goals or more, with the total goal differential for those games being -28. So, on average, by 4 goals per game. In a couple of cases you mention, it was 7-1 and 7-2 against.
If we reset those 7 games at an average 2 goal deficit, instead of the blowout numbers, it would have the effect of changing our total goals against to 121, or a GAA of a tick over 3. Apart from Ottawa, only 3 other teams in our conference are over 2.8 and of those 4 teams, only Ottawa is in a playoff spot. You need to find a way to excuse another 10 goals against to tell yourself we are OK.
In our last 15 games, we have let in 3 or more goals 10 times, including OT games. 47 goals against in those 15 games, not including SO or OT winners against us. Again, over 3.1 GAA. In our last 10 games, it’s over 4 GAA.
No matter how we cut it, we are letting in too many goals, consistently. If you treat blowouts as outliers, you have to do the same with the few games where we kept it to 1 or 2 against. That has only happened less than a handful of times in the last 15 games and about 9 times this season and we didn’t win a majority of those games at a quick glance.
About your last paragraph
One of the most recent games (before last night’s game) in which the Sens allowed only two goals was, of course, their loss to the Hurricanes.
Of course, the Sens also won last night, and then again against the Sabres, allowing only 2 goals in regulation in both games. Still, the fact that, in 40 games played, the Senators have kept goals against to two or fewer only nine times is not a good sign.
While it’s still possible the Sens may make the play-offs with such a poor goals-for-to-goals-against (stranger things have happened), it doesn’t bode well. Pace Jeremy Milks, but it still makes more sense for Murray to try to move guys like Kuba and Gonchar for prospects and picks, if he can, than to keep them for a play-off run.
I haven’t read the latest prospects round up, but my impression is that we don’t have any sure fire defensive help in the form of top 4 d-men for next year in Bingo. Cowen will only really reach his stud potential in a couple of years.
Moving Kuba may be a mistake at this point, given his stable, shot blocking steady game, unless we get a serviceable top 4 in return. Or maybe there is a UFA to be had next summer for that role. Meantime, Carkner/Lee may be replaceable by what’s in the system, but I’m not sure there are any top 4 d-men there for next year.
There are plenty of defensemen available on the free agent market this upcoming off-season
Some of whom could probably be had at a reasonable price for the short-term.
I wouldn’t want to see Kuba moved, if at all, until the trade deadline, which is, obviously, the last possible point at which he could be traded.
Of course, Kuba has been good defensively, which suggests that if he departs mid-season, without being directly replaced, the team’s goals against will worsen.
However, since in my view the team should still be focussing on rebuilding, that is a short-term price they should be willing to pay.
I can see that, if the return on the trade makes sense. However, if it’s draft picks, who plays defence for the rest of the season? We lost a lot of the games Kuba and Gonchar missed. And while it helped Cowen find a new level for his game, the lack of basic stability on the back end messes up the positive development of players up front.
While it would be nice to tank and get a lottery pick, I’m afraid of the effect it would have o developing players both real and perceived. Based on the summer discussions here and elsewhere, the general perception of the relative value of players like Foligno, Kuba, Gonchar, Regin, etc… was degraded quite a bit. How many armchair GM trades would an end of season swoon inspire? :)
No need to overpay
We don’t need to overpay anyone on the back end at all like Montreal did for Georges. We have some developing dmen in Wiercoch and BoroCop, and Kuba and Lee have played well enough to no longer be trade bait.
It’s hard to say what will happen with Kuba… maybe even a short term discounted one year rate for next year… as he won’t fetch much at the trade deadline as a rental.
It will be enough to add some defensive depth in the draft. A powerpacked #2 Center would do wonders to make our defence look alot better.
Don't worry, I agree they're giving up too many goals.
It’s just interesting how much the blowouts contribute. But in a sense they contribute to an aggregate stat — goal differential - which, like +/, can be a bit misleading.
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 9:07 AM EST up reply actions
Well that was an unexpected formatting error.
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 9:07 AM EST up reply actions
Heh
SBN considers any text bracketed by hyphens to be strikethrough. I have no idea why they made this decision. I’m sure there’s also formatting for bold and italics, but i don’t know what it could be.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Surround text by asterisks for bold and by underscores for italics.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Combo action.
just because you can
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 9:47 AM EST up reply actions
I don't see how this is better than clicking a button
Also, why do you know this?
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
by Mark Parisi on Jan 3, 2012 11:10 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It's faster.
You can do it in stride while typing, instead of interrupting to click a button.
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 12:21 PM EST up reply actions
It’s the same in google chat and Peter used it all the time. He’s super formal even in chat. He’ll put quotes in italics and everything!
There was also an SBN tutorial some where that I can’t find now. It had a block quote shortcut too that I can’t remember. :(
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I'm super formal in Google Chat too
But I never knew this. I’m a button-clicker at heart, apparently. Too much Doom as a kid.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
By trying to see how much effect the blowouts had, I only became more convinced that even accommodating them doesn’t change the fundamental fact that we are at or above 3 GAA when we need to be at or below 2.8. That should be doable, but there seems to be enough evidence that 3+ is where we are until we either tighten up defensively or in goal.
It seems our average shots against are not high enough to be the main reason for the highest goals against, so it’s either where they are from or who they are on.
Where the shots are coming from
I’ve noticed a pattern in the shot charts I’ve looked at this season. Many of the shots against are coming from in tight & on rebounds. Too few are coming from the perimeter. The D just isn’t doing a good enough job of boxing the attacking team out and keeping them to the perimeter. As a result, shots from in close result in rebounds which result in more goals. If the D can start keeping the opposing team to the perimeter, GAA will drop.
Common sense is the most evenly distributed quality in all the world.
Everyone thinks they have enough.
And that adds up to my impresion of play as well. That speaks to needing some bigger bodies to complement the offensive minded element.
I don't know how much bigger guys need to be.
Cowen, Kuba, Carkner & Lee are all big bodies. The guys need to improve their positional play & keep active sticks. If the opponents can’t get control of the puck in the slot and in tight, they can’t shoot it and thus don’t get rebounds.
The key is to play so as to force the other team into low percentage passes which result in turnovers & knock the puck off their sticks when they get in tight. While being able to stand them up and not allow them to get to the net also works, there are ways to play around that method.
Just working more as a unit and having a bit more defensive awareness I believe will improve that part of the game.
Common sense is the most evenly distributed quality in all the world.
Everyone thinks they have enough.
I should have been more specific about the big bodies we need and said more talented big bodies. Carkner and Lee are not top 4 , Philips is past his prime and Cowen is still a kid.
Tim Gleason!
Pavel Kubina!
I’d prefer Kubina to Gleason since I think the latter will be more expensive, but I’d like to see either of them in Ottawa next season. In place of Filip Kuba, for whom I wish the best but who I’d be happy letting walk. Especially since I don’t think Kuba would be very keen on returning to Ottawa after all that’s happened here during his tenure.
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by Peter Raaymakers on Jan 4, 2012 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
If Kuba is happy here and will accept a proper contract for what he brings, I’m happy for him to stay, but am not advocating it.
Gleason and Kubina are good choices. And then there are possible trades. Ottawa is now beginning to grow quite a stable of current and upcoming forwards who can’t all play for us.
Just for the sake of saying, if you want a better analysis, if you’re going to remove the blowouts, you need to remove Ottawa’s 2 best scoring output games from the equation as well. Looking at our games it looks like you have to remove 2 6-4 results, which remove 12 GF and 8 GA.
You can’t just cherry pick 2 blowouts and remove them without removing the outliers from Ottawa’s output as well.
by modsuperstar on Jan 3, 2012 10:17 AM EST up reply actions
At this point, I think it's obvious that as soon as we get a power play, we need to send Neil out to get coincidental minors
We’re fine 4-on-3, but we blow 5-on-4.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Don’t worry, the Sens power play is infinitely better than the Devils power play. And your AHL team’s powerplay is probably better as well.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Everyone has more goals than Scott Gomez
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jan 3, 2012 8:25 AM EST up reply actions
Chris Neil ain't no zero
The dude threw about 3 massive hits (7 in total I believe) and picked his spot to fight perfectly.
Zeros in my opinion were Kenopka (giveaway, losing a key face-off in OT, etc) and the horrendous D tandem of Carkner and Lee. Sweet gravy those two were directly responsible for the second goal.
Yeah his fight was useless. I know MacLean said it sparked the team, but I don’t feel it did. He fought with almost 6 minutes left in 2nd, Sens didn’t score until 3rd.
He was a zero for me.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I do agree Carkner and Lee were pretty bad too.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
The crowd was dead at that point, Neil got them back into it with a good scrap and the team responded by almost burying a couple that were saved by Brodeur and his goal posts.
He had nothing to do with either goal on the ice. He had his man covered and the breakdowns were caused by Kenopka and Lee.
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 9:52 AM EST up reply actions
He wasn’t directly responsible, but I named the fourth line as a group as zeroes because they were outscored 2-0 and didn’t generate too much pressure in the other end. That’s not a good night for a 4th line.
They didn’t do much positive and got scored on twice which made them zeroes in my book.
If you look at the scoring chances link, Neil was on the ice for one Ottawa scoring chance and 4 New Jersey chances.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
But you can’t name “the fourth line” as a group for the lack of scoring opportunities and the chances given up without taking into account who the other two players behind them.
There are five guys on the ice in red sweaters, not just three. It would be different if all three guys flubbed to cause both goals, but neither Neil or Smith had anything to do with Kenopka’s boneheaded giveaway. And the second goal didn’t involve them at all. That was all the stupidity of Lee and Carkner handling the puck like a hot grenade.
Neil and Smith were actually effective in their limited roles. Both were hitting effectively, Neil chose a great spot to fight (despite your assertion that it was “useless”) and both almost connected on a game winning goal with 2 minutes to go (which isn’t registered as a “scoring opportunity” because he missed the net).
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
I didn’t say anything about Smith. He was on the ice for the 2nd goal instead of Konopka, but overall I thought the regular 4th line of Konopka, Neil and Daugavins was bad.
I get that you disagree though.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Granted Konopka had a bad giveaway on the first goal but also hit a post and was not even on the ice for the second goal….
There you go. More reasons to not name a line as a “zero”.
Does hitting the post count as a “goal-scoring opportunity”? Because it’s not a shot on goal.
Another reason using stats as the only way to back up an argument can be fatal in execution. As Scotty Bowman always said: “Stats don’t tell the whole story!”
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:18 AM EST up reply actions
Trying to get Adnan to ever admit to anything outside of ringette style hockey i.e any degree of truculence, ever being a good thing, will never happen, he is just wired differently in my observation.
Aren’t you concerned that having to pass across all those lines will slow down play?
Also, I’d have some safety concerns about those sticks.
by RogerTheShrubber on Jan 3, 2012 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
Sorry, Adnan...
But I’m pretty sure Paul MacLean is better at gauging what sparks the team than you are. I don’t like fights at all, but Neil’s fight did what the “right” kind of fights are supposed to do: Energize a team and a crowd, and get them back in the game. It had that effect on Monday.
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by Peter Raaymakers on Jan 3, 2012 10:12 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah but I am not writing a recap of what Paul MacLean said, I am writing a recap of what I thought.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Yeah, but when your opinion is contradicted by a more credible one, it bears deferring, doesn't it?
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I am never going to accept a fight being useful, so yes that is stubborn.
Besides the MacLean comments were more like when he was asked, “What did you think of the Neil fight?” And MacLean answered it, not like he went out of his way to say the fight was great. Though MacLean did specifically say it gave them momentum.
In any case, I thought Neil and 4th line had a poor game as a whole regardless of the fight and one fight won’t change that for me.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
No, I know that
I’m not saying the fight should change your opinion of his game, just that MacLean’s comments should change your opinion of the fight.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I'm not a fan of fighting in hockey at all...
Precisely because most of them are completely pre-determined by guys who play six minutes a game and need to prove why they’re getting paid to play in the NHL, so I actually agree with Adnan in principle for most fights. Being at the game on Monday, however, I would disagree with his assessment of Neil’s fight. Like Peter said, it definitely ignited the crowd, which went a long way in energizing the team (though, as I said before, I don’t think most of them do) and probably in getting them to play with a bit more energy.
You're supposed to write a recap of what happened, though!
There is a lot of opinion involved in doing so, but it’s not entirely opinion-based!
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by Peter Raaymakers on Jan 4, 2012 8:17 AM EST up reply actions
And that is what happened. Neil had a bad game.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I agree with Peter on this one….Neil’s timing i.e being down 2-0 and trying to get his team going, it was the ideal time to find a partner and lucky enough he did…if anyone should be at fault and pointed out for making a bad decision it was the Devil’s player for accepting the challenge…if it were Konopka in this scenario he would be getting lambasted by more than a few on here.
Well at least you know I don’t just pick on Konopka. ;)
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
A fight to inspire your teammates to get going......
does not justify fighting. There are many other ways to get pumped without fighting. Imagine any other sports where you beat upon your opponent and tell me whether that inspires your teammates or embarrass them? I wonder how many of us will fight someone to inspire our kids to greater things because they lack drive?
It inspired Bart after Homer fought his Big Brother.
…. Okay, bad example. :P
A Goal Horn Haiku
Hoooonk hoooonk honk honk hooooonk
That's the sound the train horn makes
Suck it, Toronto
I feel like MacLean has a better feel for the team than you ;)
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Oh, Peter already said this
Never mind
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I was going to say that, but I felt that bordered on being ‘mean’. And my resolution in 2012 was to argue politely.
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:19 AM EST up reply actions
I have ban powers; I can say whatever I like
You can call me Marky KGB.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I prefer “Kim Jong Mark”. A more culturally-timed reference!
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:32 AM EST up reply actions
I should be the head coach, all offence all the time!
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I don’t understand how they are playing the trap now but scoring 3 goals/game and allowing 3 goals/game.
They are not doing it right!
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I don't understand a lot about their season
Talk about underachieving.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
They are turning it around a bit now. 3 wins in a row and Ovechkin has 4 goals in 2 games and 6 game point streak.
But yeah still under achieving so much.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Except for the not winning the Cup part...
Common sense is the most evenly distributed quality in all the world.
Everyone thinks they have enough.
I should be the head coach, all offence all the time!
Sure I think there is a nice new shiny coaching gig for you in one of the many leagues in Finland, Sweden or even Switzerland….you would be a perfect fit.
I don’t know about you, but I would love to coach a professional hockey team in Sweden.
I think most people here would. ;)
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I predict the end result would be sex scandal that eclipses Jerry Sandusky’s (but not involving little boys) considering your man-crushes on anything Swedish.
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
You spend a lot of time at IKEA’s don’t you?
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:47 AM EST up reply actions
I’ve never been to an IKEA in my life.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I've been to one once
Didn’t seem like a very big deal to me.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
You should, you’d be very happy there. All the blue and gold you can shake a stick at, funny Swedish words and meatballs that cost a quarter each.
Plus Alfie and Karlsson actually do go there so there’s a good chance you can stalk them as they look for Fluuderhagens and Gervaaargahoffs.
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
This is true, I am definitely against fighting in the aisles of a furniture store.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
You have repeatedly whined about posts joking about your Konopka bias
And flagged them as inappropriate. Now you are doing the exact same thing to someone else. You’ve already made it clear you can’t take it and those comments stopped; that does not give you carte blanche to dish it out to others.
Don’t try to argue that the behavior is accepted here. Its acceptance is irrelevant when you’ve already established your intolerance of it, so there is no excuse for your hypocrisy.
You’re gone with the next antagonistic comment you make, and you’re gone if you try to argue with me about this.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
by Mark Parisi on Jan 3, 2012 12:21 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Putting things in context…you thinking is not conducive to getting that gig in any North American league….again save for the Toronto city centre women’s/men’s ringette league… lots of pretty plays made there.
Okay, I know you are a bit confused, but I wasn’t being serious when I said I should be the coach nor am I really trying to get such a “gig” in a North American league.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Okay, I know you are a bit confused, but I wasn’t being serious when I said I should be the coach nor am I really trying to get such a "gig" in a North American league.
P.S Really? hmmmm no kiddin….you aren’t
I have a decent NHL 12 online record though, 25-20-4 I believe.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
My NHL '96 record is so much better than that
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
You would play Karlsson 60 minutes a game, wouldn't you!
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 12:22 PM EST up reply actions
I would if he could handle it
But he can’t and he’s not our best PK guy, so that’s not realistic.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I meant Adnan.
I think he would, PK skills be damned. ;)
(Jokes aside, I’m wondering about this strategy of playing him in the high 20s and even low 30s in minutes. Reminds me a bit of when Paddock rode the 15/19/11 line super-hard. Obviously Karlsson is younger and has legs and enjoys playing a lot and is developing… but I wonder if keeping him around 25 or so would be healthier. Last night was obviously an exception once Phillips was injured, and with an OT. I guess time will tell.)
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 12:37 PM EST up reply actions
I know you did, but I can answer too, can't I? :(
I’ve got to agree with you, though. It’s great that Karlsson and Cowen can handle 30+ minutes a game, but that doesn’t mean they should. Last night was obviously circumstantial, but I’d prefer a more balanced approach.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Sorry! Didn't mean to imply you shouldn't go there. :)
I just meant I wouldn’t have made up such a question for you. :)
Answer away!
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 12:45 PM EST up reply actions
Daugavins/Winchester/Konopka
I was thinking last night that Daugavins might be sent down once Winchester is back, but I wonder now if they might not just sit Konopka.
As much as Daugavins has been less impressive of late, Konopka has been outright harmful on several occasions, and his face-off winning hasn’t been that impressive, particularly with Spezza tearing it up this year.
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 9:49 AM EST reply actions
I actually think that Konopka has played too well to be scratched
Past two games notwithstanding, he’s been an ideal fourth line player, and he’s still the team’s best faceoff man. Winchester is who I’d scratch.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Sensory you are basing your opinion on 1 maybe 2 games and not looking at the bigger picture i.e overall play the last month….I disagree with your assessment.
Ok, admittedly I'm wrong on faceoffs.
He’s at nearly 60% with a decent sample size, although I suspect he is not usually going up against the type of faceoff competition Spezza is (e.g., Toews, Datsyuk, etc.).
I still think he hasn’t been that great. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by his ability to pot the occasional goal and and provide some energy on the 4th line. But he also makes some boneheaded plays, his fights are mostly terribly-timed, etc. He has fewer points than Winchester in more games, and is a -1 (to Winchester’s +3). I feel like Winchester plays lower-risk hockey while still providing energy and physicality (not as much as Konopka, perhaps).
Besides, Bobby Butler is our best faceoff guy at 100%!
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 12:30 PM EST up reply actions
Another look at games in which the Sens have allowed 2 or fewer goals
First, Anderson has had no shut-outs in 35 games played this year (of course in some of those games he was pulled before the game ended and in at least one – the recent game against Calgary – he stopped all the shots he faced but didn’t play the whole game), compared to 2 shut-outs in 18 games played with the Senators last season.
The number of games in which the Sens have held their opponent to two or fewer goals is 15, and their record in those games is 11-2-2, with 2 victories in the shoot-out. The Sens also lost one game in the shoot-out in which they held their opponent to two goals in regulation, but I’m not counting it here.
So they’ve held their opponents to two or fewer goals in 3 of every 8 games played (or 37.5%), and their record, unsurprisingly, is good when they are able to do so. In the 10 games where their opponents have scored exactly 3 goals (including shoot-outs), the Sens are 6-2-2, with 1 shoot-out victory.
So the Senators have done pretty well for themselves in games where they have held their opponents to 3 or fewer goals, going 17-4-4 in 25 games. In the remaining 15 games, i.e., those in which they have allowed at least 4 goals, they are obviously a stinky 3-11-1. What is noteworthy, and bad, is that the Sens have allowed 4 or more goals in as many games as they have allowed 2 or fewer goals.
Imagine if the goalies/defence pick it up.
So the bad news is that, with this goal differential and goals against, we’re likely to get burned eventually.
The good news is that IF the goalies and defence can string together some more stingy efforts, the Sens could actually move up the standings.
by sensory_experience on Jan 3, 2012 10:01 AM EST up reply actions
I think the goaltending has picked it up (well, Anderson at least, Auld is turning out to be a turrible signing), these past few games. Minus the Montreal game (which was an absolute stinker), I’ve read that Anderson’s had a SV% over .905 or higher in each of his last 10 games.
It also helps that Mr. Defensive Liability Who Refuses To Learn From His Mistakes and Is Good For Two Goals Against A Game – David Rundblad, is no longer learning to be a defenceman here.
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
Not quite
Minus the Habs game, he’s had 6 games of .914 or higher. But then before that he had an .828 against Bruins, .931 against Buffalo and .857 against Vancouver.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
I recall both the Boston and Vancouver games as being ones where the team was absolutely horrendous in their own zone. Anderson didn’t do the team any favors but that was around the time that Rundblad and Karlsson were seeing who could one up each other in defensive gaffes.
Not surprisingly, it’s around that time that Murray seemingly soured on Rundblad and shipped him off to the desert.
by The Dutch Treat on Jan 3, 2012 11:04 AM EST up reply actions
Good news in that regard
In their last 10 games (in which they have gone 7-2-1), the Sens have allowed 4 or more goals only three times, going 1-2-0 in those games.
In their preceding 30 games, then, the Sens allowed 4 or more goals against 12 times, good for 4 of every 10 games.
So it would appear that their defensive play is improving. On the other hand, the Sens have had to go to extra time to win games, with 6 of their last 10 going to overtime or the shoot-out. Of the 7 games they have won in their last 10, 5 were won in extra time.
Yet our goals against for those same 10 games are still above 4.
Goals against, not including OT winners against, for last 10 games = 4, 2, 5, 4, 1, 3, 1, 6, 3, 2
Buffalo and Carolina account for the games where the opposition scored less than 3 goals. They are both well back in goals for, averaging a little above 2 per game.
True, but I think my point still stands
Taken in 10-game aggregates, the Sens allowed 31 goals against in aggregate #4. In aggregate #3 they allowed 37 goals against; in aggregate #2, 29; in aggregate #1, 39.
You are right if you mean to point out that it is not much of an improvement and that the Sens still have a lot of work to do; I should have qualified my remark thus.
I can accept that there appears to be marginal improvement and that early poundings came before the team jelled and Paulrus had sufficiently imprinted himself. But all three aggregates are at or over 3. From this point forward, they need to be at or under 2.8 to keep their standing. And as I pointed out, their aggregate total was very much aided in the last grouping by 3-4 games against really low scoring opponenets.
GAA: A matter of style
The more I watch this team, the more I think that the GAA is high because the philosophy of the team is to have the D join the rush very liberally… like a four forward offence… sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.
The ultimate praise comes from trying to be like Karlsson, who is the ultimate in risk / reward.
We’re not so good at defending… and we specialize when it comes down to all out offence in the third period. The rest of the game seems to be more and more a justification for playing that way, because we’re coming from behind and have nothing to lose.
It’s a fun style to watch… but if we make it, will it work in the playoffs when everyone’s defence tightens up? Whaddya think?
I'm skeptical that our defense will improve
I think we are what we are, which is a team that isn’t very good defensively.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I think we might allow fewer goals against
But that would really only happen if Craig Anderson starts playing better.
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by Peter Raaymakers on Jan 4, 2012 8:24 AM EST up reply actions
I agree with the assessment of our style, and that even with better defensive personnel we would still have a high GAA. But as another reader pointed out above, the evidence is that many shots against are coming form a lack of ability to box out in front of the net, not necessarily our run ’n gun style.
We had this style in the past, with a much better for and against differential. We needed a healthy, younger Hasek to make it work and we never had that.
How has no-one commented on the picture at the top of this post?
by Pmoron on Jan 3, 2012 1:18 PM EST via mobile reply actions
It's a recap of the Devils game, but the picture is from the Buffalo one.
I feel that I am missing something…
by Pmoron on Jan 3, 2012 3:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Oh yeah, SBN didn’t have a pic up so I picked one from Buffalo game and cropped out any Sabres. You can only see full picture on mobile site I think.
Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan
Clearly there were no good pics of Karlsson to use
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